Cursed Innocence
by Hakumei-chan
Summary: Shinigami is not happy with the Earl stealing his souls. They belong to him and him only. If the accursed Noah wants to play like that, then he'll play too.
1. Prologue

Summary: The Shinigami is not happy with the Earl stealing his souls. The deceased souls are his and his only. If the accursed Noah wants to play that way, then it's time he sends his servant to deal with that annoying immortal.

Prologue: Journal Entry No. 857

Ten years, three months, and seven days.

This is my twenty-ninth journal. I burned the previous twenty-eight. Shinigami-sama ordered me not to leave any document of my existence after all. Even so, between fighting akuma at night and working for money by day, I tend to get bored. Writing quickly became a hobby after my third year here as I continue on with my search for the Earl. There is very little I can do after all and I am not a native to this world.

As a shinobi, being paranoid in a foreign land is second nature. This world is vast, and the trip through the seas irritates me. The Earl is constantly moving from one tragedy to the next. I have decided to stay and observe the living in one place instead of traveling back and forth from one country to another. The Shinigami was unhappy of my decision but since I send the captured souls back to him in large quantities, I somehow managed to evade the god's anger.

Only exorcists with Innocence have the power to purify the demons but it looks like Shinigami-sama has given me an ability to purify them without the aid of one. I will admit I am thankful of that power but I will never Shinigami-sama that. If I didn't have it, the souls I released will never be saved (and Shinigami-sama will skin me alive should I not bring them back in one piece).

It feels like time have been passing by rather slowly lately. I guess this is what eternity feels like. I haven't aged since my arrival and I obtained the ability to heal faster than a normal human and possibly even faster than Kushina when she was alive. The wound the Kyuubi inflicted on me healed, mostly. My entire abdomen and lower back is riddle with a giant circular-shape scar. The shinigami's seal can be seen on top of these scars whenever I use my chakra. The yin-half of the Kyuubi has been sealed inside of me. It was part of the deal when I made the contract with the Shinigami. I can feel the beast crawling under my skin every day and my seal has begun to show signs of deterioration. Fixing it is no problem for a seal master like me but I worry about Naruto on the other hand. The amount of chakra I left to my son is enough to help him out once. I can only pray I left enough of Kushina's chakra to help Naruto.

Naruto…you turned ten three months ago and I missed your birthday again. Forgive me. Do you take after Kushina or me? Who are your friends? Is Jiraiya watching over you as promised? There are so many questions but I don't have the answer for any one of them. My heart aches just thinking about it.

The first two years I spent traveling and learned the land's native language and culture. I learned about the demons made by the Earl and the exorcists of the Black Order who uses Innocence to battle them. I spent the next five after that gathering information and made a network similar to Jiraiya's. The Noah clan is a secretive family. I can't make a move against the Earl as long as I don't know their full abilities and therefore I have to prepare myself. I've been working on my seals for a long time. As a side-job, I became a librarian in Autun, France (I have to work for my money like a normal human and the Shinigami left me penniless). Surrounded by books of knowledge helps me understand this world a little better but though there are some inconsistencies in them. Sorting from the fact from fiction will take some time but I have plenty of that.

My hand is shaking now, my writing is becoming illegible. The Shinigami is calling to me to recollect his stolen souls. This is one command I can't disobey. This is my price for calling the god that day ten years ago. I almost feel sorry for the demons he-

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Author's Ramblings: I should really stop making crossovers; it's going to be the end of me someday. So, in short summary of this prologue, the Shinigami (ruler of the dead) is pissed off at the Earl (aka the bloody grave robber) for bringing souls back to life. Since there are rules that even gods can't cross, the Shinigami decided to use his newest servant to do his bidding and destroy the Earl.

I really wish Minato could have more show time.

So, should I continue or not? I gotta warn you, I update really slow. Also, I know a certain someone who is going maul me about this. Please review! I want to know your opinion!


	2. The Fox Mask

Chapter 01: The Fox Mask

"How did it turn out like this?" Minato muttered and he hid in the darkness. His mind wandered as he replayed the conversation he had with the Shinigami a week ago. "Does he realize how many lies I'm going to have to tell?"

(Deception is part of the shinobi job description but that doesn't mean Minato enjoys lying. The man hates it with a burning passion and it leaves a bad taste in his mouth.)

'_You are going to join the Black Order to watch over Kami's apostles. Mainly, the child he favors the most.' _Minato snapped out of his thoughts as he remembered last week's conversation with Shinigami-sama. His eyes were crying blood indicating the akuma were near (a 'gift' given to him by the god even though it wasn't necessary. This was the Shinigami's way of being funny).

'_Another night freeing souls,'_ Minato thought as he wipe the blood away with his sleeves and slip on his cloak and porcelain fox mask.

Blending in with the darkness, Minato jumped from tree to tree without alerting the akuma group of his presence. He examined the group of what levels will he be facing tonight. The majority of them were level threes and most of them look just about ready to fight (or cannibalize each other, whichever comes first).

It was a larger group than yesterday. The Earl must be frustrated by now not being able to identify Minato with no striking features other than the fox mask and cloak. Not that he blame the Earl for feeling the way he does. Minato would be frustrated too if he had an opponent like himself.

'_You will enter the Order as an Exorcist with the Innocence you found a month ago,'_ The Shinigami voice echoed in Minato's mind. _'No need to worry about it rejecting you, Kami has it covered for you.'_

Suddenly, the man winced in pain as the Innocence urge him to fight and the Kyuubi wants to fight just for the pure violence (not surprisingly).

'_He never included about the Innocence inducing pain.' _Minato thought._ 'Hey, you promised to let me fight by my own terms and Kyuubi, stop complaining about your new roommate.'_ The Innocence eventually calmed down a bit but the Kyuubi still raged inside the man. Minato was a tad bit annoyed but nonetheless, he still has to fight regardless. _'Well, it's time to put on a show for everybody.'_ Minato thought and did a quick succession of hand seals.

_Kanton: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!_

Minato expelled an orb of massive flames directly at the group, catching several level ones and twos on fire. The unlucky ones quickly went up in flames and the body turned to ashes, but that's fine in Minato's opinion, he could see the once trapped souls floating away back to realm of the dead. As the flames died down, Minato jumped from the tree he perched on, and struck the closest level three with a Rasengan.

"Wh-" The akuma didn't stand a chance, that's for sure.

"Fourteen down." Minato said and lunge at the next level three with no intention of slowing down. "Fifteen."

The fight quickly became a chaotic dance with bullets flying, explosions everywhere (courtesy of the explosive tags Minato placed a while back), Minato weaving through the ranks and a trail of akuma limbs falling behind him. Minato had to remind himself in the midst of everything to slow down for the Earl to catch a glimpse of his mask.

"One hundred and three." Minato finished. He turned around to see all the purified souls rising from the fallen bodies, they looked eternally grateful for their masked savior before disappearing to the heavens. Minato stood there for a moment before moving on. He could sense another wave of akuma approaching. The new group feels a bit more powerful than the last and the man wondered if he should have brought his homemade soldier pills.

"When are the exorcists going to arrive?" Minato said to no one in particular. (He made sure all the akuma were destroyed, that way, the Earl can't hear a single thing other than Minato counting the fallen akuma.) It was the main reason he's been making a flashy show for the Earl was to also attract the Finders in the Black Order.

Still, the Exorcists are taking their sweet time coming here.

"I should have gone with Plan B," Minato muttered simply. Plan A consists as posing as a Supporter (under a guise, of course) and draw the attention of a group of Finders about flashes protecting the villages nearby from akuma attacks. Hopefully, they'll assume there's a human who has synchronized with an Innocence.

Plan B consists of barging in through the doors of the Order's new headquarters, cause a huge scene, and comment how crappy their seals are in general.

…And the people back home called him a genius?

Minato could feel his eyes bleeding again; the second wave of akuma is near. This time, the group is composed entirely of Level threes.

"Definitely should have chosen with Plan B," Minato grumbled. The loud approach was never his thing but if he's desperate enough, he might just resort to Plan B.

Besides, if Plan A and Plan B fails, he still has Plan C, D and E to back him up.

'_If God's favorite child fails and becomes a Noah like Destiny planned out, kill him.' _

No matter how powerful Minato was in the past, the Shinigami's orders are absolute.

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"Akuma were destroyed by flashes?" Allen repeated.

"Yellow flashes to be exact!" Komui specified. "And from a Finder's report, a supporter spotted a human wearing a black cloak and a white fox mask fighting a group of level two and three akuma. The unknown fighter was said to have destroyed the group within seconds." The man sounded very excited at the news.

"So the new accommodator's powers have something related to speed." Lenalee said. "Do you think his Innocence is an equipment-type?"

"Maybe, but the report also indicated that he or she has other abilities that do not rely on his legs," Komui replied. "From the data shown where the flashes appeared, the village is in the center of the other villages that the flash has been spotted AND I found past reports of flashes dating back a little over a decade!"

"How did the Science Department missed that?" Link demanded. Looks like young man will be sending another report of Komui's incompetence to the Inspector, again.

"Don't look at me, blame the other head scientist before me," Komui said as he took a sip of coffee. "And Lenalee~~! You're coffee tastes delicious as usual!"

Lenalee could only sigh in dismay at her brother's antics. "Nii-san…"

"Then we have to head for France immediately before the Earl finds out about the new accommodator." Allen stated.

"It's kind of too late for that." Komui replied. "There has been an increase of akuma activity in France; Level threes have been spotted near Autun. There could be a possibility that the accommodator could be there." The head supervisor turned to Allen. "Have you ever been the town before during your training with Cross?"

"I think we were around the general area of Autun," Allen replied. "I think there's a town that's about half a day's walk. I can send everybody there."

"Great!" Komui exclaimed. "Since everybody else is out on missions, Lenalee, Lavi, Link and you will head to Autun to find our new ally."

"So when can we leave?" Lavi asked. He is just as curious as everybody else just who is the new accommodator the Innocence has chosen.

"Everybody will depart from via ark in three hours," Komui said. "But Lenalee doesn't have to go~~! She can stay here and-" Lenalee push her brother away and made her way to the door.

"I'm going," Lenalee replied firmly and left the room. With that being said, the meeting was adjourned and everybody left to prepare themselves for the mission.

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The next day, Minato felt a surge of energy outside of the village and four human signatures appearing out of thin air. His eyes weren't bleeding and the chakra signatures feel human enough.

Which mean one thing: the Exorcists are here.

"Finally!" Minato exclaimed.

He almost threw his books up in air in relief. No more taunting the Earl and he could sleep better at night (not that he really sleeps).

The real mission starts now.

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Author's Note: Writing the next chapter is always hard after the prologue. I wanted it to be longer. Sorry. I'll try to make the next chapter longer.


End file.
